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Creating a historical sport narrative of Zonnebloem College for classroom practice, pp . 71-104
Creating a historical sport narrative
of Zonnebloem College for classroom
practice
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2223-0386/2020/n23a4
Francois Cleophas
University of Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch, South Africa
fcleophas@sun.ac.za
ORCID No.: orcid.org/0000-0002-1492-3792
Abstract
This article attempts to create a sport narrative of the Zonnebloem College
prior to 1950. The introduction provides a motivation for proceeding with
a decolonising format and lays out what the elements of such a format
would entail. Next, an overview of sport historical developments at the
Zonnebloem College is explored. The administrative history of sport at
Zonnebloem is explored as well as selected sport codes. Finally, the article
is summarised and concluded by presenting teachers and learners with
sample questions, which they could consider using in their local conditions.
Keywords: Athletics; Netball; Soccer; Decolonisation; Institutional
Culture; Past Student's Union; Zonnebloem.
Introduction
According to the sport historian, André Odendaal, at the centre of South
African sport history must be the effort to understand how the silences of
the colonial subject in sport are manipulated and how colonial narratives
are set in the literature and minds of South Africans – and to attempt to
redress the situation (Odendaal 2018:1). One example of the silence on
black school sport is the publication, Some famous schools. It is a 279-
page work that is dedicated to “teachers, pupils, old boys, parents and
the local public that [came from] schools founded on the Arnoldian ideal”
(Peacock 1972: Editor’s Note). The Arnold ideal here refers to the life
view of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School from 1828 to
1842, who advocated a schooling system that suits the rising middle class
(McIntosch 1963:65). School histories such as these are expectedly silent
on their privileged position in society and their complicity in silencing
narratives that emanate from the underclass. This article directs attention
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Yesterday&Today, No. 23, July 2020F Cleophas
largely to redressing the vacuum of black1 school sport in 20th century Cape
Town by presenting a narrative of developments at Zonnebloem College
(henceforth called Zonnebloem) in a decolonising format. Zonnebloem
College is the oldest training institution2 in Cape Town, being established
in 1858 (Bylae tot Die Burger, 2008:16). This institution exists today
(2020) as the Zonnebloem Nest Senior School.
A decolonised sport narrative contains the following elements: putting
in place new paradigms for understanding the past, integrating from the
beginning, at every stage and in every area, the experiences of hitherto
excluded black sportspeople from history, and reconstituting the entire
statistical history of South African [sport] (Odendaal 2018:1-4). Applied
to Zonnebloem, this necessitates the documentation of available data
regarding biographies and sport results where they are available. Such
data may appear insignificant to readers located outside the Zonnebloem
experiences; however, they do provide evidence of the importance (and
lesser importance) that the institution attached to sport. This article
therefore includes college sport results that contain names of later school
administrators. Such data also provide substance for individual athletes,
such as the poet Sydney Petersen, who recalled his school athletics
experience as follows: “When the tape is near and the heart and nerve and
sinew are all gone, then one man will rise to victory” (Willemse 2010:34).
What this study also hopes to achieve is to create an awareness amongst
history teachers about school populations of “knowledges encoded
in the dominant beliefs, values and behaviours deeply embedded in all
aspects of institutional life” (Jansen 2009:126). It is stated here with a
degree of certainty that successful school teachers transfer their acquired
beliefs, values and behaviours during teacher training to their employment
environment. One such teacher was the 1936 Zonnebloem graduate, Allie
Fataar:
[Allie] emerged during [his teacher training period] as a confident young
teacher-in-training, admiring his teachers for their conscientiousness and
passion for going beyond the expected because of their belief-systems and
commitment to fairness in an exploitative system (Omar 2015:166).
1 In this study the term, black, refers to the politically constructed references African, Coloured and Indian in
the South African context. The author distances himself from any biological stereotyping associatied with
these classifications.
2 Initially Zonnebloem was an ordinary school. Later, it was divided into a teacher training department
(referred to as the College in common terms), a secondary school and primary school. All three divisions
together is referred to as the Zonnebloem Institution.
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Yesterday&Today, No. 23, July 2020Creating a historical sport narrative of Zonnebloem College for classroom practice, pp . 71-104
Significantly, Fataar stated that if ever a biography of him should be
written, it would have to include the words, “I always became secretary
at club-sport level”. Furthermore, he said, “[I was] co-founder of Harold
Cressy High School Sport Council as we sought to salvage the ethos of
mass-based school sport” (Omar 2015:165, 167). As far as the author of
this article is aware, there is only one published academic journal article
on the subject of Zonnebloem school sport (Cleophas 2012:63-87). This
was an article that explored athletics during the 19th and early 20th century,
thus leaving scope for a wider exploration of other sport types. There
have however been considerable endeavours in the area of research into
Zonnebloem school history (Cleophas 2012; Hodgson & Edlmann, 2018;
Hodgson 1975; Hodgson 1982; Hodgson 1983; Hodgson 1984; Hodgson
2003). The reader/teacher is advised to read this article against the
historical backdrop of the above-mentioned authors’ works. These recorded
narratives have illuminated, in part, a hitherto obscure compartment of
South African education history – missionary school sport. This study
adds to this collection of works by foregrounding the above-mentioned
decolonisation elements that constitute a sport narrative.
Sport administration
In 1900 William Parkhurst took over the wardenship of Zonnebloem
(Hodgson & Edlmann 2018:167). Parkhurst was a Muscular Christian
who promoted the idea of “developing the hand, eye and muscle as well as
soul and mind” (Hodgson & Edlmann 2018:167). Muscular Christianity is
the label given to the philosophy that physical fitness and sporting prowess
were important avenues through which mental, moral and religious
(meaning Christian) attitudes were developed and sustained (Siedentop
1990:69). Parkhurst was part of a cohort of Muscular Christians who
influenced the institutional culture at centres of higher learning in the Cape
Colony. Canon Ogilvie, who is regarded in some quarters as the pioneer
of rugby in South Africa (Dobson 1990:21; Van der Merwe 2007:162),
was also such a Muscular Christian. Another noted Muscular Christian
was the Reverend H. R. Woodrooffe who was appointed in 1859 to be in
charge of “the native branch of St. Andrew’s College” (Currey 1955:24).
Woodrooffe was succeeded by Robert John Mullins in 1864 (Stevens
c.1992:41). An internet source claims that Mullins introduced rugby to
boys who were attached to the Xhosa Institute, started in 1859, which
was attached to St Andrews (St Andrew’s College 2015). It was in 1904,
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Yesterday&Today, No. 23, July 2020F Cleophas
when Rev. Oscar Charles Hine joined the Zonnebloem staff as the manual
work teacher, that sport was gradually introduced on a formal basis. He
brought with him his experience of British public schooling received at
Manchester Grammar School (Anon 1944:5). Hine, no doubt imposed the
Manchester Grammar school and sport ethos on to Zonnebloem. This was
an ethos expressed in 1903 by the high master at this school, John Lewis
Paton, that “a strong body is your servant, a weak body is your master”
(Turner 2015:166). According to Paton’s biography, written by his son,
he “saw in the great public schools that the moral tone was fostered by
corporate life, organized team games, personal influence of the masters,
continued attachment of scholars after they [had] left” (Turner 2015:166).
Parkhurst and Hine were two Muscular Christians who expanded existing
19th century sport programmes at Zonnebloem and brought them in line
with Muscular Christianity. In 1904 also, a Zonnebloem Old Boy gave an
account of a visit to his alma mater in the Veld and African Pictorial. One
of the things he reported on was the boxing matches (Veld and African
Pictorial 1904:21-22). In that same year, the editor of the Zonnebloem
Quarterly Magazine mentioned in the July edition that those activities
which required bodily exertion, whether manual work or athletics, were
a great weakness [at the College]. Football (soccer) was however being
played with some energy (Zonnebloem Quarterly 1904a:2).
Early in the 20th century, a sport committee at Zonnebloem was established
to control sport. A similar situation developed earlier at the South African
College where in 1895, an athletics committee was established to control
sport, and especially to manage financial matters in connection with
various clubs. This committee was composed of a representative from each
year’s classes and each club in the College, together with two professors,
Ritchie as president and Corstorphine as secretary and treasurer (Ritchie
& Kemp 1918:357). By 1905 there existed a Zonnebloem sport committee
(Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St.
John Baptist, 1905b:29). The cover pages of various Zonnebloem Quarterly
Magazines list the following students and lecturers as “Games officers”:
For the period October – December 1905: Norman Cressy (football
captain), Cristopher Lobenguela (football secretary and cricket captain),
G. Sekgoma (vice-captain), Harold Cressy (cricket secretary) and
J.H. Makenna (athletics secretary) (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine
Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St.
John Baptist 1905c: cover page). Lobenguela entered Zonnebloem in 1895
and stayed until 1907. The following year he left for England to attend
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Denstone College, and possibly one of the universities. His academic
record indicates that he obtained the First-Year-Woodwork Pupil-Teacher
Certificate in 1904 (WCED Pass Lists). Norman Cressy wrote an admission
examination in 1904 and the last record found of him was of him passing
the third-year P. T. examination, second grade, in 1907 (see also WCED
Pass Lists).
For the period April-June 1906: Norman Cressy (football captain), M
Xiniwe (football vice-captain), Christopher Lobenguela (football secretary
and cricket captain), Isang Pilane (football treasurer), G Sekgoma (cricket
vice-captain), Harold Cressy (cricket secretary), J Beukes (second team
cricket captain) and JH Makenna (athletic sport secretary) Zonnebloem
Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist,
1906a:cover page).
For the period July – September 1906: Norman Cressy (football captain),
M Xiniwe (football & cricket vice-captain), Christopher Lobenguela
(football secretary & treasurer & cricket captain), Percival Victor Sokopo
(cricket secretary) and William Hanekom (cricket second team captain)
(Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St.
John Baptist, 1906b:cover page). Available records indicate Sokopo was
a student at Zonnebloem between 1904 and 1908, while William Matthew
John Abraham Hanekom passed a Teachers’ Model Drawing examination
at a vacation course in Cape Town in 1911 (see also WCED Pass Lists).
For the period October 1906 – March 1907: Norman Cressy (football
captain), M Nixie (football & cricket vice-captain), Christopher
Lobenguela (football secretary, treasurer & cricket captain), M Xiniwe
(cricket vice-captain), Percival Sokopo (secretary) and William Hanekom
(cricket captain of the second team) (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and
Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist, 1906c: cover page).
Some of these names had historical significance. Thus, Norman Cressy
was the brother of the more well-known Harold Cressy (Adhikari 2012:12).
Nguboyenja (Christopher) Lobenguela was a Ndebele royal heir who
was baptised in St. Phillip’s Church on 15 January 1900 and christened,
Christopher (Hodgson 2018:164). Isang Pilane was a translator for Bechuana
chiefs who visited Zonnebloem; he was also part of the Tswana-speaking
Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela in Bechuanaland Pilane dynasty and became an advisor
to the Royal House (Hodgson 2018:175). Harold Cressy became principal of
Trafalgar High School in 1912 and first president of the Teachers’ League of
South Africa (TLSA) in 1913 (Adhikari 2012:32, 36).
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After the First World War, sport at Zonnebloem gradually started to be
administered by teachers who were not clergy. The low number of pupil-
teachers was however a major obstacle in the development of team sport.
The situation improved slightly by 1935 when Ms Grover was the sport
mistress. Thereafter Zonnebloem produced stalwarts in almost every
branch of sport and these stalwarts took their skills to various parts in
the Union of South Africa and beyond. The contribution of Gilbert Little
was highlighted in the press as particularly outstanding in this regard (Sun
1932d:7.) He was singled out for praise in an article written by George
Golding on the progress made in school sport in the Western Cape (Sun
1932e:7). Little’s brother-in-law, W.G. Bapoo, was also on the Zonnebloem
staff and a prominent tennis player in the Cape District Tennis Union (Sun
1936e:12). When a former Zonnebloem student, William Darries, died
in 1937, his obituary stated that he taught with success at Mossel Bay,
Brandwacht, Oakhurst and George, and he was a “beloved brother and
friend in the world of sport, I.O.T.T. and the Brigade” (Sun 1937g:4). At
some stage Zonnebloem introduced a Derbyshire Shield for inter-school
sport. In 1948, Gray House won this shield (Clarion 1948:3).
Sport fees
In 1933, a 5-shilling annual sport fee was compulsory for students (UCT,
MAD BC 636 D2.75). At the beginning of the 1937-football season, the
warden asked the principal in a confidential letter to discuss the inclusion
of sport fees in the school fees, so that assistance could be given to players
travelling to Rosebank and Mowbray. This was asked because players had
to walk both ways, play a hard game and return to their homework at night,
utterly fatigued and unfit for study. An example was given of two boys
who walked to Rosebank and back. They got back at 19h40 (prep started
at 19h15), and had a hurried meal and a wash before doing homework.
This was the regular routine for a number of boys who could not afford
to pay the train fare. He suggested that every boy pay 1d. of the 5d. train
fare from Woodstock Station and that a special fund cover the balance.
According to the warden, most schools and colleges (i.e. white schools
and colleges) had such an arrangement, so that the best players could be
selected, irrespective of finances. The warden also wrote to Gilbert Little
about the matter, who was asked to consult with the principal (UCT, MAD
BC 636 A10.49). The acting principal agreed to deal with this suggestion
(UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.50).
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Hostels and netball
Boarding houses or hostels were important stimuli for sport participation
at British schools. The living conditions in Zonnebloem hostels however
were not conducive to school sport because the living conditions left much
to be desired. In 1936, the warden reported that the buildings of the boys’
hostel were unsatisfactory, the sanitary and bathroom arrangements were
quite inadequate and the floors were in an appalling condition (UCT, MAD
BC 636 C2. 57). Another report was vague on the question of unsatisfactory
dietary conditions. It stated that although nutrition at the boys’ hostel
and girls’ hostel was satisfactory, food should be increased by adding a
second vegetable at dinner daily, and sweets (with fruit predominantly)
thrice weekly instead of only twice as at present (UCT, MAD BC 636 C2.
78). One of the suggestions made by a commission of enquiry, headed by
Canon Lavis, into the causes of unrest at the Zonnebloem boys’ hostels in
1937 was that there should be opportunities for social intercourse between
the warden and the boarders, possibly in the evenings (UCT, MAD BC 636
C2. 77). Despite these shortcomings, netball at Zonnebloem was closely
associated with the St. Clare’s hostel for girls.
According to an internet source, netball was introduced to students at
both the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town in
1925 by a certain Mrs Salmon (Anon n.d.). It could not be determined
when and how the game reached Zonnebloem, but in 1932 a proposal was
made for the introduction of a second Zonnebloem netball team consisting
of hostel girls (UCT, MAD BC 636 D2. 84). From then on, the St. Clare’s
Hostel was very successful in the netball section of the Central School
Sports Union (CSSU) (see Cleophas 2014 for a historical account of the
CSSU). Zonnebloem fielded their A team and hostel team in the over-15
age division, who played each other in the final match in 1932. The final
score was 20 for the A-team and 26 for the B-team (hostel team) (Sun
1932d:7). Conflicting evidence exists about the year 1934. According to
diverse Zonnebloem papers in the University of Cape Town archives, St.
Clare’s Hostel withdrew from the school sport league, making it possible
for one team to represent Zonnebloem in all games (UCT, MAD BC 636
C2. 48). However, that same year, the Sun reported that Zonnebloem was
the winner of the over-15A netball competition and that the St. Claire’s
team was the winner of the over-15B competition (Sun 1934e:8). In 1936,
Zonnebloem entered three over-15 teams in the CSSU league competitions.
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The A-team won the A division while the other two teams (Zonnebloem
2B and Zonnebloem B) finished first and second respectively in the B
division. The Zonnebloem 2B-team won the knockout division in 1936
(Sun, 1936d:11). Three results for the 1936 CSSU final matches could be
found, although with unknown scores:
Table 1: Zonnebloem netball results for 1936
Team Result
Zonnebloem over 15 A loses to Trafalgar
Zonnebloem over 15 B defeats Wesley over 15
Source: Sun, 1936c:12; Sun, 1936d:11.
Except for one insignificant media report about the game in 1943, no
further media reports about netball at Zonnebloem could be found
(Zonnebloem College Magazine 1944:10).
Image 1: Zonnebloem girls playing netball in knee-length dresses c. 1920s-1930s
Source: National Library of South Africa, Cape Town campus, Special collections.
Sport facilities
By 1904, a past student reported that the grounds were well laid out
and many opportunities were available to students for indulging in
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healthy athletic games. A special feature was the swimming pool, which
the students patronised well, especially in the summer season (Veld and
African Pictorial 1904:21). This swimming pool was in existence by 1902
(South African Spectator 1902:5). For many years, Zonnebloem was also
the only Coloured school in Cape Town with a proper soccer field, whilst
St. Phillip’s School used the netball court immediately above the working
brickfield, free of charge (Cape Standard 1945:3; Cape Standard 1947:6).
The extent of the ground was such that a reader in the Cape Standard asked
the Cape Town City Council to arrange for golf facilities for Coloured
players on the Zonnebloem grounds, on the edge of Devil’s Peak (Cape
Standard 1936:8).
The Zonnebloem archives has an article from the Cape Times about
the use of the Rosebank Common by the Coloured sport fraternity being
under threat, as well as the use of Woodstock Beach by Coloureds facing
a similar threat because of the Harbour Scheme. Those responsible for
Coloured sport were concerned about the inadequate provision of grounds
for the thousands of school children and adult Coloured sportpeople in the
city area. Therefore, when Zonnebloem started laying out their fields, a
request came in immediately for the use thereof by the St. Mark’s School
(UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.53; UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.61).
Archival records show that recreation on the official sport facilities was
sometimes directed by club culture, which dictated certain formalities.
On 17 September 1923, an agreement was signed between the Young
People’s Circle Recreation Club and the College authorities. The club was
allowed the use of a section of the grounds in front of the Training School
and that part of the Zonnebloem School known as Prowse’s Brick Works
for playing football, cricket, hockey, basketball, etc. The club agreed to
maintain the area and also to see to it that no property surrounding the
grounds is damaged in any way. The agreement was valid for a year,
starting from 1 October 1923 to 31 September 1924, and subject to any
bylaws the College authorities may deem necessary (UCT, MAD BC 636
B3. 133). The club also agreed to donate the sum of 10 shillings per month
to the College authorities for the use of the grounds. The first payment
was due on 1 August 1923. William Musselwhite, who became warden in
1916, signed this agreement for the College, while Roland Botha signed it
for the recreation club (UCT, MAD BC 636 B3. 134; Hodgson & Edlman
2018:191).
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By 1934, the College authorities started paying increased attention to the
development of playing sites as sport grounds. A sub-committee suggested
that the matter of making bricks should be expedited so that the profits
from brick making may be applied to the preparation of sport grounds
(UCT, MAD BC 636 C2. 48). In the same year, the students and teachers at
Zonnebloem Training School started to build their own sport field because
of insufficient funds to hire labour (UCT. MAD BC 636 A 10.20). The
College also had access to the Anglican archbishop and appealed to him in
1936 for support in the acquisition of playing fields (UCT, MAD BC 636
C2.71). Included in correspondence from the warden to the principal on
29 April 1937, and marked as confidential, was a progress report on the
sport field development project. At that time, there were no playing fields
in playing condition yet; therefore, those in Mowbray and Rosebank had to
be used (Sun 1937f:6). The result was that players, many from financially
poor families, in addition to a hard game, had to walk 10 miles (in order
to get to the fields and back) (UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.52). According to
archival records, the warden also arranged for the planting of 20 trees to fill
up the gaps amongst the existing trees surrounding the boarding house and
suggested that the new field be called “Coronation Field” (Zonnebloem
papers, BC 636 A10.49). The College authorities also used collection cards
for the purchase of equipment for this field (UCT, MAD BC 636 C2. 71).
The warden was in the process of getting quotations on fencing, implying
that the field would be an enclosed space (see Cleophas 2020 for the
closed-field movement in Cape Town). He asked Mary Waters to arrange
with Gilbert Little to have a regular supply of 12 to 24 dayboys, who did
not have any game commitment, to assist daily. Waters, a white woman,
was singled out for appreciation by Allie Fataar as follows:
She was a teacher of geography, and of course psychology, and her
method of teaching was very good. English-trained, but she’d worked in
the Transkei so she could also speak Xhosa. Lived in Sea Point in a flat
there, but a woman without any colour … consciousness. And she had
apparently inherited some money, so whatever she earned at Zonnebloem
she spent on us (Omar 2015:160).
The College authorities kept detailed records of sport facility
development, which benefits Zonnebloem school historians. A certain
Mr Gaven plotted out the lower field and said that with ₤1000 capital
and a lorry he could level off the field and show a profit in two years.
Income from the fields could come from both fund raising and the hiring
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out of Coronation Fields. A loan of £500 from the Brick-making and
Playing Fields Committee was also necessary. A third field, Cambridge
Field above Coronation Field, could also be levelled in a year’s time
with the help of a regular labour supply of dayboys. The warden also
hoped to obtain a small piece of land for the layout of a fourth fully-
sized field below De Waal Drive. This was to be called Plantation
Field and was the last of the fields to be developed. He also identified
certain sites suitable for tennis courts and netball pitches. In May 1937,
the Zonnebloem College authorities launched an appeal for funds for
two playing fields (UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.49). The Developments
Committee of the Zonnebloem Advisory Council oversaw the project
and had its first meeting on Saturday 26 June 1937. This committee also
had a Coronation Sports Fund consisting of 9 members (UCT, MAD BC
636 A10.62).
However, the support in general for the development of playing fields
was unsatisfactory. When the Zonnebloem Past Students gathered for
their annual meeting on 29 September 1937, the acting warden, Le Sauer,
stated that the response to the appeal for help in obtaining playing fields at
Zonnebloem was disappointing (Sun 1937i:2). In correspondence between
Father Bull (an Anglican minister who had previously been associated
with Mission School in Ndabeni) and the Zonnebloem administration, the
cleric was made aware that Zonnebloem counted on St. Phillip’s Church
and School - the new location of Father Bull – for financial support for the
development of the playing fields (UCT, MAD BC 636 A10.66; Rousby
1906:26). At the monthly meeting of the City Council, a recommendation
from the Parks and Improvements Committee was accepted that ₤500
be granted to Zonnebloem College for the purpose of putting in order
a playing field for use by the students and children of the immediate
neighbourhood (Cape Standard 1940a:5.) The Second World War however
put a hold on any further development. After the war, in December 1946,
the City Council approved a scheme for the erection of large sport grounds
for use by the “non-European” group. The site in question was part of
Zonnebloem, adjoining the area known as Dry Docks, just below De Waal
Drive (Cape Standard 1946:4).
Athletics
Athletics was the most reported sport code at Zonnebloem and therefore
the historical narrative can be periodized.
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1901-1908
It was under the tutelage of Parkhurst that the Zonnebloem College
Magazine (ZCM) reported on an athletics sports day held on the football
field in 1901. This was the first sports event held for some years, indicating
that such events had occurred previously (Parkhurst, 1901:1). The boys
were divided according to height for the high jump, and according to
age for the foot races. J. Mvabaza won the champion’s prize for the day
and Jacoba Meyer won the girl’s prize (Hodgson & Edlman 2018:171;
Parkhurst 1901:1). The official results are seen in Table 2 following below:
Table 2: Results of the first athletics meeting at Zonnebloem in the 20th
century
Event Category Result
Boys high jump Under 5 feet 3 inches 1. J. Stonier; 2. G. Smith
Boys high jump Over 5 feet 3 inches 1. Masenti; 2. Sello
Long jump Open 1. Stonier; 2. J. Williams
Three-legged race Under 15 years W. McCoy & Davidse
Tug-of-war College vs School Winners: College
100 yards Boys over 10 and under 1. Richardson; 2. C. McCoy
12
100 yards Boys over 12 and under 1. N. Cressy; 2 W. McCoy
15
100 yards Boys over 15 and under 1. Faroe; 2. J. Williams
18
100 yards Open 1. Magabela; 2. Masenti
220 yards Over 16 1. J. Williams; 2. Magabela
220 yards Under 16 1. S. Johnson; 2. Fredericks
440 Yards Boys under 16 (handicap) 1. Mji; 2. Norman Cressy
440 yards Boys over 16 1. J. Mvabaza; 2. Qobo
Half mile 1. D Mosesh; 2. Masenti
Mile open 1. J. Mvabaza; 2. J. Moshesh; 3. Qobo
V.C. race (senior) 1. J. Mvabaza & A. Jones
V.C. race (junior) 1. Mji & A. Johns
Source: Parkhurst, 1901:1.
The next recorded athletics meeting at Zonnebloem that could be found
was one held on 3 September 1904. The meeting continued to be in the
English rustic tradition, where sport was still untransformed by qualities of
rationalization, standardization, calculation and measurement (Table 3; see
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Mandell 1984:151). No results could however be found for this athletics
meeting. The report in the Quarterly Magazine does however show to what
extent British culture had infiltrated missionary school sport, especially in
the after-celebrations. After the meeting, Mrs Parkhurst presented the prizes
and was herself presented with a bouquet. Daniel Moshesh presented it and
his remarks were followed by hearty and approving applauds. A musical
programme was performed under the directorship of Michael Gaboutloeloe,
who led the Bechuana choir in amusing the onlookers with choruses and
comic items. The warden, Parkurst, urged the boys to keep up their athletics
and congratulated them on their great success that day. Afterwards, G. van
der Hoven and J. Moshesh were each presented with a gold-nib fountain
pen for the trouble they had taken in arranging the sports. “God save the
King” brought the evening to a close (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and
Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist 1904:10, 16-17).
Table 3: Draft Zonnebloem Athletics programme 34
Source: Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist
1904:17 (format adapted for reader).
3 The author was unsuccessful in determining the meaning of ‘V.C’. It is however left in the text so as to add
to the completeness of reporting.
4 The author was unsuccessful in determining the meaning of ‘choister’. It is however left in the text so as to
add to the completeness of reporting.
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In 1905 a swimming race, diving competition, throwing the cricket ball
and kicking the football were added to the existing athletics programme
(Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St.
John Baptist 1905a:29). Three years later Zonnebloem competed in a
Cape Town Gala Sports Day competition at Green Point Track. The ZCM
reported on the Zonnebloem winners of different events as follows:
Table 4: Zonnebloem winners at 1908 Gala Sport Meeting in Cape Town
Source: Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist
1908:83 (format adapted slightly).
Paul Heneke’s name appears in the ZCM 1907 list of successful first-
year pupil-teacher candidates. And in 1935 he was the TLSA president
(Adhikari 1993: 185; Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of
the Association of St. John Baptist 1908:83). A gap exists in the archival
record that can only be continued from 1932.
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1932-1933
The next available media report that could be traced was from a 1932
CSSU series athletics meeting at the City and Suburban Rugby Ground,
Mowbray. The Zonnebloem results were: D Klein – first in Boys under 17
100 yards flat in a winning time of 11.5 seconds; R February – second in
Boys over 17 100 yards flat; D King – third in Boys over 17 100 yards flat
(Sun 1932b:8). A prominent Zonnebloem athlete during the early 1930s
was Colin Wynne. He was coached by Gilbert Little and later became
principal of Zonnebloem (Primary) School. Like many other prominent
Coloured sportsmen and women, he emigrated to Canada (Little 2005).
Wynne made his debut at a CSSU meeting held on Wednesday 9 November
1932. The Zonnebloem results of that meeting were as follows: D Klein
– first in Boys under 17 220 yards in a time of 25 seconds); Colin Wynne
– second in Boys under 17 220 yards; R February – second in Boys over
17 100 yards flat; D King – third in Boys over 17 100 yards flat. The
Zonnebloem results for the last meeting in the 1932 CSSU series were as
follows: Colin Wynne – first in Boys under 17 440 yards flat in a time of
55 3/5 seconds; W Jonkers – second in Boys under 17 440 yards flat; D
Klein – third in Boys under 17 440 yards flat (Sun 1932c:8). Zonnebloem
entered an athletics team for the inaugural Alexander Shield inter-school
athletic competition at Trafalgar High in 1933. Here follow the names of
the Zonnebloem students who finished in the top three positions for their
respective events. Boys under 17 100 yards flat: Colin Wynne – first in
11 1/5 seconds and J Vegotine – third; Boys under 17 half-mile walk: M
Oliver – third; Boys under 17 880 yards: W Jonkers – third; Boys under
17 440 yards flat: Colin Wynne – first; Girls under 17 200 yards flat: C
Pietersen – first in 28 seconds (Sun 1933b:7).
1934
In 1934, the Alexander Shield athletics day was held again. There were the
following officials: judges (Rev. Oscar C. Hine, Edward Augustus Ball, G
Veldman, Ms Mary Waters, Ms M Hughes and Ms D Cloete), timekeepers
(W Seaton and E Mercury), director of sports (Gilbert S Little), starter (G
Malherbe), record clerk (Roland Botha), competitors’ steward (I Kiewitz),
corner judges (DJ Isaaks and Dan Jacobus Abrahams) and secretary of the
meeting (G de Rouxbaix) (Sun 1934a:1). A few of these names have been
noted elsewhere in historical research. Oscar Charles Hine was referred to
earlier in this study. Edward Ball was the College principal while Mary Waters
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contributed to the shaping of the political thoughts of a later radical left-wing
activist, Allie Fataar (Omar 2015:167, 216). Then, Dan Abrahams and Gilbert
Little were administrators of the early Central School Sports Union in the
1930s (Cleophas 2014:1871). Regarding the above-mentioned athletics day
results, the available Zonnebloem results in finishing position order (1st, 2nd
and 3rd) for the under and over 17 age divisions appear in the next table.
Table 5: Athletics results for the 1934 Athletics Day
Age division Event and names Time/Distance/ Height
Boys under 17 100 yards
V. Strachan 11 4/5 seconds
L. Stone
880 yards
D. Maggot 2 minutes 27 4/5 seconds
[ J. Petersen
High jump
J. Barnes 4 feet 8 inches
D. Maggott
Boys over 17 100 yards Time/Distance/ Height
J. Ziervogel 11 2/5 seconds
Colin Wynne
220 yards
J. Ziervogel 24 3/5 seconds
Colin Wynne
440 yards
J. Ziervogel 56 4/5 seconds
Colin Wynne
880 yards
J. Muller 2 minutes 17 4/5 seconds
W. Jonker
J. Wagner
One mile
J. Muller 5 minutes 6 1/5 seconds
C. Frederickson
D. Maggott
Long jump
C. Wynne 7 feet 11 inches
W. Dantu
High jump
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C. Wynne 5 feet 1 inch
E. Wrankmore
Shot put
J. Stuhardt 30 feet 5 ½ inches
N. Adkins
J. Ziervogel
Girls under 17 100 yards Time/Distance/ Height
C. Pietersen 13 seconds
U. Clementson
220 yards
C. Pietersen 32 seconds
C. Manning
Long jump
C. Pietersen 18 feet
M. Johnson
High jump
C. Pietersen 4 feet 3 inches
M. Johnson
Girls over 17 100 yards
M. Allison 14 1/5 seconds
L. Summers
200 yards
M. Ross 30 3/5 seconds
C. Zinn
Long jump
M. Ross 13 feet 5 ½ inches
C. Zinn
High jump
M. Ross 4 feet 3 inches
C. Zinn
Old Boys 100 yards
G.S. Little
R. February
Old Girls 75 yards
C. Kellerman
F. February
Source: Sun 1934a:1.
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Overall, Zonnebloem College tied for second place with Battswood
College with 28 points in the Alexander Shield Competition. Livingstone
High School won the competition with 47 points and Trafalgar High
finished fourth with 5 points (Sun 1934c:7). The individual Zonnebloem
results for this competition in the under 17 and over 17 age divisions are
presented in the following table:
Table 6: Zonnebloem athletics results for Alexander Shield inter-
schools’ meeting in 1934
Age division and names Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
Girls under 17
C. Petersen 100 yards Second -
Girls over 17
M. Ross 100 yards First 12 seconds
M. Ross 200 yards Second 25 3/5 seconds
C. Petersen 100 yards Second -
C. Petersen 200 yards Third -
Boys over 17
C. Wynne 100 yards Second -
J. Stuhardt Putting the shot First -
Source: Sun 1934c:7.
Table 7: Individual Zonnebloem results for a CSSU meeting
Age division Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
and names
Girls under 17
I. Walker 150 yards Second -
S. Franz High jump Third
Boys under 17
G. Barnes High jump Second
Boys over 17
M. Esmael Shot put First 28 feet 7 inches
G. Barnes High jump Second
Source: Sun 1934c:7.
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Also, in 1934, a series of athletic meetings was organised by the CSSU,
of which only one result sheet could be traced (Table 7).
By 1934 Zonnebloem athletes were competing in community athletics
meetings and Colin Wynne finished eighth out of nine places in the Salford
Harriers Athletics Club handicap series (Sun 1934d:8). This was a club that
was established in 1911 by a former Battswood Training School student,
S.F. Davids and a few others (S.A. Clarion, 1920b:14).
1935-1938
In 1935 Zonnebloem competed again in the Alexander Shield inter-
schools’ athletics competition. The individual results for Zonnebloem
participants are given in Table 8.
Table 8: Individual Zonnebloem results for Alexander Shield in 1935
Age division Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
and names
Girls under 17
G. Webb 200 yards Joint first 26 3/5 seconds
G. Fisher 200 yards Joint first 26 3/5 seconds
Girls over 17
Relay Third
Boys under 17
F. Murray 100 yards First -
P. Meyer 100 yards Second
F. Murray 220 yards First 25 seconds
Groenewald 220 yards Third -
C. Fredericksen 880 yards Third -
Boys over 17
E. Sloan 440 yards First 55 1/5 seconds
M. Esmael Shot put Second
K. Kima Shot put Third
W. Jonkers One mile Joint first 5 minutes 7 4/5 seconds
Men’s open
M. Esmael Shot put Third
Source: Sun 1935c:7.
No Zonnebloem athletic results could be obtained for 1936, but members
of the 1937 Zonnebloem athletics team are given here: (Boys) A Bavasah, F
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Murray, P Meyer, Petersen, J Damonzem, C Abrahams, Vries, S Levendal,
R Oliver, W Williams, P Jansen and A Rorich; (Girls) J Titus and E Ahrends
(UCT, MAD BC 636 D2.85). Individual Zonnebloem results for CSSU
competitions in 1937 are presented in Table 9. These results may prove
useful for later statistical purposes.
Table 9: Individual Zonnebloem results for CSSU competitions in 1937
Competition date
10 February Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
and names Height
Girls under 17
J. Titus 100 yards Second
Girls over 17
Boys under 17
S. Levendal 100 yards First -
Boys over 17
A. Bavassah 100 yards Third
18 February Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
Height
Girls under 17
J. Titus 220 yards Second -
Boys under 17
S. Levendal 220 yards Second -
R. Oliver 220 yards Third -
Boys over 17
A. Bavassah 220 yards Third -
24 February Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
Height
Girls under 17
J. Titus 220 yards First -
Boys under 17
R. Oliver 880 yards First -
W. Williams 880 yards Second -
Boys over 17
F. Murray 880 yards First -
3 March Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
Height
Girls under 17
J. Titus 100 yards Second -
skipping
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M. Davids 100 yards Third
skipping
Boys over 17 -
C. Abrahams 1 mile Third -
10 March Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
Height
Girls under 17
E. Fisher Long jump Third -
Boys over 17 -
W. Ludolf Long jump Third -
17 March Age division Event Position Time/Distance/
Height
Boys over 17
W. Ludolf High jump First -
Source: Sun 1937a:10; Sun 1937b:12; Sun 1937c:10; Sun 1937d:10; Sun 1937e:11.
The available results for Zonnebloem participants in the CSSU
competitions for 1938 are as follows:
Table 10: Individual Zonnebloem results for CSSU competitions in
1938
Age division Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
and names
Girls over 17
M. Davids 50 yards skipping First -
100 yards First -
200 yards First -
Relay Second
Boys over 17
J. Pietersen 880 yards Third -
1 mile Third -
Relay Third -
Source: Cape Standard 1938a:11; Cape Standard 1938b:2; Cape Standard 1938c:8.
1939-1945
No results could be found for 1939 and results for only one athletics
meeting was found for 1940, on 31 May. This was probably due to
Zonnebloem downscaling their extra-mural activities because of the
Second World War. The final individual Zonnebloem results for the C.S.U.
meeting of 31 May 1940 follow in the next table:
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Table 11: Individual Zonnebloem results at the CSSU athletics meeting
held on 31 May 1940: 5
Age division Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
and names
Girls under 17
M. Corbett 100 yards First -
M. Davids 100 yards Third -
Long jump Second -
V. Veenendal 100 yards skipping Second -
P. Chisolm 100 yards skipping Third -
Winners of P.R.B. Trophy 3
Girls over 17
M. Corbett 100 yards First -
200 yards First -
M. Davids 100 yards Third -
100 yards Second -
Long jump Second -
High jump First -
D. Abrahams 100 yards skipping Third
Winners of P.R.B. Trophy
Boys under 17
A. Marshall 100 yards Third -
220 yards Third -
Shot put Third -
Long jump Third -
Source: Cape Standard, 1940b:2.
The year 1941 proved to be a successful athletics season for Zonnebloem
in the CSSU annual competition. Zonnebloem Training School won the
1941 Diamond House Trophy6 at the Green Point Track on Friday 30 May.
The school also won the senior Coronation Cup for most points in the under
17 and over 17 sections (Cape Standard 1941:8; Cape Standard 1942:10).
The outstanding athletes of that meeting are presented in Table12.
5 This is possibly a trophy donated by the Percival R. Biggs, a chemistry teacher at Trafalgar High School,
Cape Town, who made a name for himself in the local science community for his research into hydro-
ponics (Cape Herald, 1965) p. 8.
6 At this stage it is uncertain who the donor of the Diamond Trophy was.
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Table 12: Outstanding Zonnebloem athletes in the 1941 CSSU annual
competition
Age division Event Position Time/Distance/ Height
Girls over 17
M. Frensch 100 yards First
200 yards First
Skipping competition Second
Boys over 17
C. Gordon 100 yards Second
200 yards Second
Source: Cape Standard, 1941:8.
In the 1942 CSSU annual athletics meeting, Gordon was singled out
in the media as the most outstanding Zonnebloem athlete in the over 17
division. He won the 220 yards in 23.9 seconds, 440 yards in 54.9 seconds
and finished second in the 100 yards. Another Zonnebloem athlete who
excelled was M. Wynne, who “won several events in the girls’ section in fine
style” (Cape Standard 1942b:11). Two years later, in the CSSU athletics
tournament, Zonnebloem won the Diamond House Trophy (Zonnebloem
College Magazine 1944:10; Sun 1944:5). In March of 1944, the Achilles
Athletic Club was established and sponsored by Dr JM Joshua. The club
trained at Green Point Track and the sessions were open to all, irrespective
of race or gender. The first secretary was a teacher from Livingstone
High School, BJ Petersen, and Gilbert Little was the first chairman (Cape
Standard 1944:8). Gilbert Little was a teacher at Zonnebloem at the time.
Zonnebloem archival records indicate that the College also planned inter-
house athletics meetings during the Second World War. In 1944, Carter
House won the annual inter-house competition and received their shield
from the archbishop (UCT, MAD BC 636 D2.101). The Zonnebloem inter-
house athletics meeting for 1945, with Gilbert Little as the convenor, was
cancelled because of bad weather (Cape Standard 1945b:11).
Cricket before 1907
Team sports were encouraged at most Anglican schools (Worden, Van
Heyningen & Bickford-Smith 1998:239). Sufficient evidence exists of
cricket being played by Zonnebloem and Zonnebloem Old Boys during
the 19th century (Hodgson & Edlman 2018:35-37, 121-123). A few former
Zonnebloem cricketers became national personalities in public life and
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sport. These include Robert Grendon and Frank Robb (Winch & Parry
2020:43, 116-117). Cricket was the favourite sport and matches were played
against local community teams (Hodgson & Edlman 2018:171). By 1864
the College had two teams, and in 1865 cricket was a budgeted item and
the College spent 18 shillings on a cricket bat and 8 shillings and 6 pence
on a ball (Hodgson 1975:453). That year two away matches were recorded
– in Rondebosch and Wynberg (Hodgson 1975:453). The earliest recorded
match in Stellenbosch was between a group of Zonnebloem boys visiting the
town on 30 June 1865 and a group of local boys (Hodgson 1975:454).
A “droll cricket match” took place between members of the Dutch
Reformed Synod, who visited Cape Town in 1886 and the College team
(Hodgson & Edlman 2018:155). Sometime during the 19th century, the
Molteno Club was established by a few Zonnebloem Old Boys. This club
practised at a venue called Varney’s Corner in 1899 (Cape Times 1899a:6).
A historical account given by two captains, Dan Smit and S. Sampson,
provides insight into the nature of the game played at the time. Both spoke
enthusiastically of a time when “fast and straight bowling was the correct
method of attack and the batsman who could score the fastest was the
hero of the day”. Smit reminisced on the time when “the innings were
shorter but bright and spectacular cricket could always be witnessed
and spectators were in plenty” (Cape Standard, 1939b:2). The club was
named, in colonial fashion, after the Cape Town mayor, who had opened
the Molteno Reservoir in 1886. The first games were played against the
other clubs in a Coloured “Union” that existed during the 19th century:
Mowbray, Wasps and Simonstown Advanced Clubs. After Molteno won
the Mowbray Cup for two consecutive seasons (1895-1896) the “Union”
went into decline and League cricket “became a dead letter for the
coloured people of Cape Town” (Cape Standard, 1939b:20. The Moltenos
arranged friendly matches between themselves and the Garrison, the
visiting Australians that toured South Africa in 1902. They also arranged
matches between themselves and the Western Province, and Cape Town
clubs during the week at Newlands, as well as playing in other games on
Thursday afternoons (Cape Standard, 1939b:2; Chesterfield, 2003:7). The
article in the Cape Standard could however be misleading since there was
also a Cape Town-based club called “Australians” (Cape Times, 1899b:6).
Most of the Molteno players were in government employ and got time off
from work. The heads of government departments and other civil servants
were supporters at the games. A veteran recalled that it was “Sampson who
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was one of the first batsmen to play the off-ball hard and he and Theys
were the original slow bowlers … shortly afterwards slow bowling was
introduced to the Cape” (Cape Standard, 1939b:2).
By 1906, Zonnebloem had their own cricket grounds but also played
away matches. Two reports appeared in the college magazine that year.
On 8 September they played against the Rhodesian Cricket Club and the
following week against the St Augustine Club (Zonnebloem Quarterly
Magazine and Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist, 1906:55).
The College defeated the Rhodesians by 15 runs although they bowled
badly. Against the St Augustine Club, they lost by 40 runs (Quarterly
Magazine and Journal, 1906:55). To date no research could be found that
has explored the historical background of the Rhodesian Club, but it is
known that St Augustine Club was established in 1899 at the St Paul’s
Church in Cape Town under the direction of Canon (later Bishop) Lavis
(Cleophas n.d.). That year of 1906 the cricket club released its batting and
bowling averages, which is presented in Table 13.
Table 13: Zonnebloem batting and bowling averages for 1906
Batting averages
Name Matches Innings Total Runs Highest score Average
Christopher Lobenguela 8 8 90 38 11.25
Maurice Xiniwe 8 9 96 37 9.5
Charles Dean 6 7 55 19 7.8
Percival Sokopo 7 7 42 17 6
D. Madala 8 9 35 9 3.8
Bowlers
Percy Sokopo 32 wickets
Maurice Xiniwe 31 wickets
Theo Mani 16 wickets
Source: Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist, 1906:9.
Finally, there is a report from the Anglican Church on a cricket match
between the St. Cyprian’s Mission School in Ndabeni and the Zonnebloem
second team in 1907 (Worden, Van Heyningen & Bickford-Smith,
1998:239).
Indigenous games
Little evidence exists of boys playing indigenous games at Zonnebloem.
There is, however, one account of boys playing indigenous games, games
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Yesterday&Today, No. 23, July 2020F Cleophas
that they played in their villages. In 1905, the Quarterly Magazine carried
an article describing three indigenous games which were played by boys
who were familiar with these games. The first, Seloka, was a Bechuana
game, the second, Insema, was a Matebele game, and the third, Karete,
was a Basuto game (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal of the
Association of St. John Baptist 1905a:12).
Soccer
When, on occasions, in 1901, the Zonnebloem boys played soccer with
boys from District Six on Zonnebloem premises on Sunday afternoons,
the warden, Parkhurst, denied it publicly that the students engaged in such
activity. He stated in a South African Spectator that year that the students are
neither allowed nor anxious to play games on Sundays. Instead, Parkhurst
emphasized the need for removing the “riff-raff of the neighbourhood
infesting the College grounds on Sundays with their footballs in defiance of
the police and himself” (Cleophas undated). In 1904, Harold Cressy, after
whom a well-known Cape Town school is named and who was the first
president of the Teachers’ League of South Africa (TLSA), served on the
executive committee of the Zonnebloem College Football Club, and was
described as a creditable wing (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and Journal
of the Association of St. John Baptist 1905a:28; for an account of Harold
Cressy’s life story, see Adhikari 2012; for historical accounts on the TLSA,
see Adhikari 1993 and Hendricks 2010). The office bearers of the soccer
club that year were Norman Cressy (captain), H Stonier (vice-captain), M
Gaboutloeloe (secretary), G Mji, H Makenna, Harold Cressy (committee
members) and Mr Ames (treasurer) (Zonnebloem Quarterly Magazine and
Journal of the Association of St. John Baptist, 1904:16). In 1932, football
(soccer and rugby) made relatively good progress, and between the two
rugby teams and the six soccer teams that entered the SCU competition,
Zonnebloem won 9 trophies in the competition (Sun 1932d:7).
Zonnebloem Past Students' Union
Zonnebloem alumni organised themselves into an organisation called
the Zonnebloem Past Students Union (ZPSU), sometimes referred to as
Old Zonnebloem Union or Old Zonns. In 1920, the Cape Town branch
of the ZPSU formed an Old Zonn’s Athletic Club, with the intention of
keeping former scholars together. The club consisted of football (already
in existence), cricket and gymnasium sections. The organisers were JC
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Wyngaard and R. Hoedemaker of 11 Primrose Street, Cape Town. One of
the football players was Phil Petersen who was also a Western Province
backline player. When he joined the Y.M.O. soccer club, the S.A. Clarion
called it a scoop for them. W. Hanmer was the Old Zonn’s goalkeeper at
that time (S.A. Clarion 1920a:9, 14).
Social days at Zonnebloem were almost always accompanied by sports
events. In 1932, the past students played against the present students in
a soccer match at the Festival of the Association of St. John the Baptist
where the past students defeated the present students 2-1. When women
were allowed into the ZPSU, a netball match between past and present
students was also played where the former defeated the present girls 19-
15. The day was concluded with “God save the King” (Sun 1932a:2). In
1933, a concert was arranged on 28 April for funds towards the purchase
of suitable sports equipment for the junior boys (Sun 1933a:5). The
following year, two Victor Ludorum trophies were donated by the Union
to the College to be awarded to deserving sportspersons (Sun 1934b:7).
An Old Zonns’ Day was planned for 31 August 1935 where cards, chess,
baseball and netball were on the entertainment list (Sun 1935a:1). After
the mayor, Louis Gradner, gave a speech on how the Coloured community
should imitate his community, the Jewish community, and raise above
discrimination, a programme of elaborate sports followed (Sun, 1935b:1).
The following year, on 9 October 1936, the Cape Town Dance Teachers’
Association (CTDTA) staged a Grand Dance Display in the City Hall as
part of the ZPSU festival. According to the Sun, this was the first of its kind
for a ‘non-European’ audience (Sun, 1936b:9).
A Cape Standard reporter wrote in 1943 that the Old Zonns’ Day has
always been an important event on the College calender. This was no
less so when, in the same year, the ZPSU planned a programme for 27
September. The afternoon session consisted of a netball match and rugby
match between past and present students. Afterwards, tea was served in
the warden’s garden, followed by a bioscope show in the College Hall, the
film being Climbing high, featuring Jessie Matthews. The evening session
was concluded with a welcome address to the past students by the new
principal, Frank Cullis, followed by a social, a dance and games (Cape
Standard, 1943:12).
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Old Zonnebloem Union in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)
A ZPSU student branch was established in the Bulawayo Coloured
School in 1939 in Rhodesia (Cape Standard 1939a:10). That year, a
games and hobbies section was started at the Rusapi Coloured School in
Rhodesia. The following gifts were donated by well-wishers: a cricket set
with three sets of pads and wicket-keeper’s gloves, a ball for netball and
a set of netball rings, two dozen tennis balls, a football, one set of boxing
gloves and skipping ropes (Sun 1939a:12). The ZPSU in Rhodesia was
also connected to the Shamrock Football Club in Bulawayo, which was
established in 1925 (Sun 1939b:11). In 1938, the chairman of the club was
FC Fischer, a Zonnebloem Old Boy (Sun 1938:11).
Concluding classroom exercises for reflection
Identify significant sport administrators at Zonnebloem and explain why you (4)
think they are historically significant.
Describe the enabling as well as limiting factors for sport participation at (5)
Zonnebloem.
Identify the career of one male and one female Zonnebloem sportsperson as (6)
mentioned in this article, and provide statistics for this person.
Identify historically significant sporting moments in Zonnebloem’s history and (5)
justify why you regard them as historically significant.
Identify two sporting examples of a formal nature and two sporting examples (4)
of an informal nature at Zonnebloem.
Describe what you consider to be either virtues or vices of the Zonnebloem (5)
Past Students Union.
Comment on the differences between the track and field histories of girls and (3)
boys.
Identify a sportsman and sportswoman of the year for any year at Zonnebloem. (10)
State what criteria you have designed, mention the shortlisted candidates, and
justify your decision.
Identify a possible family sport history based on surnames in the Zonnebloem (5)
narrative.
Design a time- line cricket history for Zonnebloem between 1864 and 1907. (10)
Write a one-page essay, where you argue for or against: “Zonnebloem was (20)
an elitist school that was in its existence removed from the surrounding
community.”
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